Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority chief leaves at end of contract

John Loftus has exited his position as executive director of the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority at the end of a three-year contract.

Loftus "intends to stay active," but decided it was time to return to his wife and pets in the Cleveland area, agency Deputy Director Kyle Burleson said in an email.

Burleson began serving as interim director on Tuesday, according to a news release. Burleson, 33, will serve until Feb. 1, while the board of directors seeks a permanent replacement, the release said.

Loftus was hired to run the port authority in August 2014 under a contract that paid $100,000 annually, Crain's reported. Under Loftus, the Detroit-area agency aimed to boost water traffic by championing proposed legislation that would allow it to help privately owned terminals finance improvements and expand operations. Loftus said soon after he was hired by Detroit that he had wanted the job for 30 years.

"He answered the call to serve his hometown, had a three-year contract, and upon the expiration of that contract, he decided it was time to go back to Ohio," Burleson said in the email.

Burleson said he has worked for the port authority since January 2014. Before that, he was legislative director of former U.S. Rep. Candice Miller's office. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and history from the University of Michigan and a doctorate in law from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, according to the release.

Delorean Holmes, the port authority's economic development manager, will act as interim deputy director while Burleson steps into the top role.

Correction: The original version of this report included an incorrect salary for John Loftus. This version is correct.